1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connection unit for establishing an electrically conductive contact with an insulated lead or a stripped lead. In particular, the present invention relates to such an electrical connection unit where the metal part functions as a contact element that cuts the insulation of the insulated lead when the insulated lead is inserted.
2. Description of the Related Art
For many years, there have been various electrical connection units including terminals to which electrical leads can be easily connected without prior stripping of the insulation from an electrically conductive core. To accomplish this, the insulated lead is inserted into a lead receiver of the terminal and then pressed into a cutting element by which the insulation of the lead is cut through and the core of the lead is contacted with the cutting element. There are numerous embodiments of these types of terminals for the connection of insulated leads. These numerous embodiments generally differ in how the lead inserted into the lead receiver is pressed into the cutting element. By using these terminals, a significant time advantage and savings may be attained in the connection of leads since the preparation and stripping of the electrical leads are eliminated. Of course, there have been other types of electrical connection units, which have been known for many decades, that include terminals for connecting stripped electrical leads.
A product catalog of the company WAGO Kontakttechnik, GmbH. discloses an electrical connection unit of the initially mentioned type. This electrical connection unit includes both the cutting elements and also the spring element so that both insulated leads and also stripped leads can be connected to the connection unit. However, this disclosed electrical connection has a significant disadvantage in that due to the arrangement of the cutting elements in a separate plane above the spring element, the connection unit has relatively large dimensions, in particular, a very large height dimension. This large dimension is a very significant disadvantage because the relatively large size of the electrical connection unit limits its application and prevents its use in confined spaces where the simplified use of such electrical connection units is especially desirable.
In particular, the continuous reduction in the size of the circuit boards themselves and the miniaturization of the components located on the circuit board has required that electrical connection units located on the circuit board to have very small dimensions. In addition, there are numerous other applications in which electrical connection units with very small dimensions are necessary due to the very small availability of the connection space, such as when leads are being installed. Thus, there exists an unfulfilled need for such an electrical connection unit which can be used with both insulated and stripped leads but also having very small dimensions such that the electrical connection unit may be used in confined spaces.